Game of Thrones (Season 1): A Review

     I avoid watching TV series as much as possible because I'm a bit impatient and -- I really don't see myself waiting for days just to find out what happens next in the story.  I'm a bit picky too when it comes to what I watch.  Even if people have good things to say about some shows they've seen, I rarely believe them until I've read some reputable reviews and unless I've seen it for myself.

     Yep, I'm not that hard to please when it comes to food (as I've mentioned on an earlier post) but I choose carefully what I feed my mind with what I read or -- what I watch.  So Imagine my surprise when I started watching Game of Thrones!  The pilot episode kept me on the edge of my seat and I can hardly contain my excitement as I went on to the succeeding episodes.  Among the many things that came to mind while watching the series was that I needed to share this with you guys.  And so, even if this post is tad late, please read on!

     Game of Thrones​ is a TV series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss which is an adaptation of George R.R. Martin's dark fantasy novel series:  'A Song of Ice and Fire'.  Staged in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, where they say summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime, Game of Thrones tells the story of the struggles among the kingdom's seven noble families for control of the Iron Throne.  The series premiered April 17, 2011 and was well received by fans and critics.  Two days after the premier, the next season was put to plan and casting for the second season began a month after.

A scene from Game of Thrones' pilot episode:  'Winter is Coming'

     I can't say it better myself so here's a behind-the-scenes video with the author George R.R. Martin, the executive producers, the crew and the cast as they tell you pretty much why 'Game of Thrones' is such an exciting watch and why you should watch it.

     D. B. Weiss, one of the executive producers, said: 'It's not a good guys-bad guys story.  It's a story  where everybody is pursuing their own interest and everybody is following their own code. It's about those interests and those ethics coming into conflict with each other which provides a much more richer story.'

Behind the scene photo from 'The Kingsroad', second episode of Game of Thrones

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Just what made this series appealing for me?

     First:  the complexity of each character.  Just when you think you already know who they are, another layer of their complex personality is revealed.  Each character is unpredictable and as powerful or as vulnerable as the next one.  Each one is strong and at the same time weak, can get killed, wounded, or betrayed.  Each one is a hero or otherwise.  You will love them as much as hate them, at one point or another.

A scene from Game of Thrones, Episode 3:  'Lord Snow'

     Second was the impressive effort they've put into the production.  The details they've put into each scene is incredibly amazing.  Although it is a fantasy series, you can see and perhaps feel that it can be real.  Many cultural influences from different periods in history have been put into the design.  According to wikipedia, the pilot episode alone cost between US$5-10 million and the total budget for the first season has been estimated at US$50-60 million.

A scene from Game of Thrones, Episode 4:  'Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things'

     Third, it was a gathering of well chosen actors.  Whoever plays which part, they definitely made us believe that such a character can be as stern or as kind, as wicked or as nice, as manipulative or as honorable.  They were all carefully picked for the part.

A scene from Game of Thrones, Episode 5:  'The Wolf and the Lion'

     Fourth and lastly, I always have a soft spot for stories which has dragons in them.  If dragons are real, I'll be among those who will breed them. LOL!  The last episode for the season was convincingly a great cliff hanger.

Game of Thrones' final episode for Season 1:  'Fire and Blood'

     If you've seen Game of Thrones, who is your favorite character?  Tell me in the comments' section below.  I definitely can't wait for the next season.  See ya on my next post!

*Game of Thrones photos were taken from Google Image search.
*Most of the information about the Game of Thrones TV series were taken from Wikipedia.
tags: Game of Thrones Season 1